The Winery Dogs to Stage ‘Dog Camp’ for Musicians This Summer

The Winery Dogs are giving musicians of all ages and skill levels the chance to go to music camp with them. Mike Portnoy, Billy Sheehan and Richie Kotzen will conduct Dog Camp July 21-25 at Full Moon Resort in Big Indian, N.Y. Portnoy gives a sneak preview in the above video.

“We’ve all done clinics over the years, but it’s always been something that’s primarily centered around one instrument that each of us has typically done on an individual basis,” says Portnoy. “Dog Camp is the first time that any of us have hosted or participated in a true ‘Band Camp.’ As a result of that, we’ve got some incredible surprises in store for everybody attending.”

“We’ll be living together, hanging together, and jamming together,” Portnoy continues. “We want you to ask as many questions as possible, and we’re going to engage you on a one-on-one basis to help you realize your goals as a player.”

The camp will include instrument-specific clinics, songwriting mechanics and other instruction along with performances and jam sessions from The Winery Dogs and special guests. More information and tickets for Dog Camp are available here.

“What's interesting is to talk about music, concepts, objectives, reasons why you're playing the instrument, what you want to achieve and how to get to that point, rather than talking about major versus minor scales,” says Kotzen. “I love that feeling of sharing concepts with people. In The Winery Dogs, we all have various experiences that a lot of other people don't have."

He continues, "It's an opportunity to share that and grow; the feeling of moving forward and learning and experiencing something new. That's what excites me about Dog Camp. It's the creative process and creativity that make me want to do music, and I want to share that."

Different versions of the Winery Dogs' 2013 self-titled debut album will be released in April. 'The Winery Dogs Special Edition’ consists of the original album plus a second disc ‘Unleashed in Japan 2013.′ ‘Dog Treats: The Winery Dogs Deluxe Special Edition’ includes the special edition collection plus a DVD featuring four music videos and interview footage, demos from the original recording sessions, a studio diary and more.